Fruita was our first stop after leaving Flaming Gorge, Utah to see the Colorado National Monument. The area is desert on the high Colorado Plateau with steep walled canyons of rock and sandstone surrounded by juniper and pinyon forests.
Fruita, Colorado
Fruita was settled in the 1880s. It was a perfect area for farming and started out as a fruit producing region. Over the years, it attracted outdoor enthusiasts because of mountain biking, hiking, rafting, and the Colorado National Monument.
Colorado National Monument, Fruita
We stayed at the Monument RV Resort which had full hookups and ok wifi. Sites were close together, but no one was loud or partying. Best part was that it is only a few miles from the National Monument and close to Grand Junction to provision.
The 23 mile rim rock drive is spectacular. The sheer canyon walls are made up of red rock with gorgeous backgrounds of the valley and distant Colorado River. It was made a National Monument in 1911 and includes 20,000 acres.
Once we climbed to about 7,000 feet, there were two Golden Eagles perched.
The eagles can be huge with wingspans up to 7 feet.
There were desert Bighorn Sheep at the higher elevation. We were lucky to have a couple of them pose for a photo op.
The Black Canyon of the Gunnison, National Park
We stayed at a KOA in Montrose, Colorado. It had mostly long term rentals overflowing with too much stuff. The Black Canyon of the Gunnison was only 5 miles away.
We drove the south rim which had numerous pullouts for short walks to spectacular views.
The canyon was formed over 2 million years by the Gunnison river and erosion. It’s a very deep, steep, and narrow canyon.
It’s named the Black Canyon because the steepness makes it difficult for sunlight to penetrate into its depths, so it’s often in shadow.
The Black Canyon of the Gunnison was made a National Monument in 1933, then a National Park in 1999.
Upstream there are dams on the Gunnison river creating a peaceful environment.
We drove to Gunnison and enjoyed lunch at a brewery.
Crested Butte wasn’t that far away. The town is cute and in a scenic location, but at over 8,000 feet elevation it’s a wonderful place to visit, but maybe not live year round. We needed coffee for the ride home.
A huge herd of about 40 elk staying in Crested Butte, probably trying to avoid the hunters.
